Ace Founder

In this episode of Ace Founder, we sit down for an awesome chat with Justin Gilchrist, the brains behind Wellbox.

Justin gets incredibly real about what it takes to build an enterprise corporate-gifting company, especially since the idea was born of pure desperation during the 2020 lockdowns.

We dive into why he chose bootstrapping over VC money to protect his peace of mind, how he's secretly using AI to slash hours of work, and why he's finally realizing he can't ignore LinkedIn anymore.

It's a super candid, fun, and insightful conversation you won't want to miss!

⏱️ The Playbook

• (03:22) The Origin Story: How facing a terrifying £60k in monthly overhead forced a desperate—but genius—pandemic pivot.
• (06:56) What's in a Name?: Why Justin crowdsourced the company name on WhatsApp and used his old business's logo for two years just to launch faster!
• (10:22) Inside the Business: How a lean, tight-knit core team of just 11 people manages gifting for 87% of the FTSE 250.
• (19:00) The Data Obsession: Why Justin is an unapologetic data nerd—and how tracking what people linger on shapes every gift Wellbox builds next.
• (22:38) The Amazon Voucher Debate: A brilliantly honest take on why a gift card gets forgotten in your account, but a hamper keeps reminding you who sent it.
• (24:23) HR vs. Sales: The Split ICP: Milestone gifting, cutting through 50,000 cold emails, and why these two buyers need completely different languages.
• (27:18) The VC Temptation: The brutal reality of 2023, and why resisting the urge to take investor money to scale blindly was his toughest (and best) decision.
• (33:17) The Biggest Win: The surprising mix of luck, skill, and 25 years of mistakes that led to building his dream team.
• (37:49) The AI Advantage: A total game-changer on how Wellbox uses AI workflows to turn 4-hour catalog tasks into 10-minute breezes.
• (43:48) The LinkedIn Trojan Horse: Justin's hilarious, humble confession about his current social media presence—and why he knows capturing attention is the only way forward.
• (46:53) Founder Hindsight: Justin's number one piece of advice for anyone stuck in the "perfection" trap.
• (47:33) What's Next: Why building a startup is like flying a train while trying to build a plane mid-air.

💡 Key Takeaway

"If you're anywhere near the start, just start. Don't obsess over things being perfect or even right. You've got plenty of time to correct it along the way, but just get to whatever validation looks like for you as quickly as possible, before you lose momentum."

— Justin Gilchrist

🔗 Links & Resources

• Connect with Justin Gilchrist: Find him on LinkedIn
• Check out Wellbox: wellboxes.co.uk

Your business is making money. But do you actually know where it's going?Most founders check their bank balance, see the number went up, and call it a win. But profitable-looking and actually profitable are two very different things — and that gap is exactly where businesses quietly stall.In this episode of Ace Founder, Igor Tutelman — CPA, founder of IOTA Finance, and self-described "Not Your Father's Accountant" — breaks down how small business owners can stop flying blind with their finances, and why AI might be the most underused tool in a founder's financial toolkit right now.If you're building a business and the money side still feels like a mystery, this one's for you. 📚 What We Talk About:00:26 Igor's background and what IOTA Finance actually does for founders01:38 What it means when the business model works but the financials don't02:26 The "Bank Balance Barry" problem — and why it's more dangerous than you think03:37 The gas station attendant analogy — what AI job displacement really looks like historically07:55 Why founders need to be paying attention to AI when making financial decisions09:14 Why your first hires matter more than almost any other decision you'll make10:28 How to grow your client base without automatically adding headcount12:52 The three AI tools Igor's team uses daily — and what each one is best for17:00 The Fable situation, AGI warnings, and what it means that AI is now self-improving20:22 Should founders be using AI to make financial decisions? Igor's honest take22:42 Why a bad prompt is more dangerous than no prompt at all24:13 The one thing every founder should start doing with AI this week💭 Key Quotes: "No, AI is not going to take your job. But somebody who works with and appreciates AI might.""It's like getting access to Bill Gates' executive assistant — and it's foolish not to use it.""We're not worse at thinking. We're just better at deciding and worse at gathering — and that's actually a good trade.""ChatGPT for communication. Perplexity for research. Claude for execution.""Become a little kid with AI. Go play around with it. There's no good way to do it other than by doing it."🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: iota-finance.comLinkedIn: Igor Tutelman

Think your business is safe from the AI craze? Think again!

In this episode of Ace Founder podcast, we sit down with PingChen, the powerhouse co-founder and CEO of CybPass, who went from a student with zero network to leading a top UK cybersecurity startup in just two years.

PingChen breaks down why the shiny new international standard ISO 42001 is about to become mandatory for anyone using AI (yes, even if you just use ChatGPT or Claude!), how a massive 7% global revenue fine from the EU AI Act might be lurking in your future, and how his game-changing tool, Themis, is automating the entire compliance headache.

If you want to protect your business from catastrophic AI risks without spending a year drowning in boring paperwork, you cannot afford to miss this episode!

PingChen is the co-founder and CEO of CyPass, an advanced AI security and governance startup spun out of the University of Sheffield.

Originally from Taiwan, he navigated the UK tech landscape with zero prior corporate background to rapidly scale CybPass into a government-recognized, award-winning cybersecurity SME.

• From Academia to Institutional Backing: CyPath evolved from a two and a half year research project at the University of Sheffield into a fully spun-out, venture-backed startup in less than a year [00:08:38].

• The New Wave of Physical AI: While most cyber solutions focus on code and text models, the next massive frontier is securing AI embedded in physical, real-world systems like autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotics [00:03:49].

• Demystifying ISO 42001: This framework is an extension of the classic ISO 27001 security standard, specifically designed as an "AI Management System" (AIMS) to handle data pipelines, risk assessments, and internal policies [00:10:11].

• It’s Mandatory for AI Users Too: Think you're exempt because you don't build models? Think again! If your business uses third-party AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor, you still need to align with ISO 42001 [00:11:47].

• The Cost of Slacking Off: While ISO 42001 is currently a voluntary framework, it underpins the impending EU AI Act, where violating prohibited AI practices can trigger massive fines of up to 7% of global annual turnover [00:23:39].

• Ditch the Manual Checklists: Traditional compliance takes 6 to 12 months of manual consulting and yields outdated, static documents. Modern AI systems evolve too quickly for this, requiring adaptive, automated monitoring [00:18:35].

• How to Pre-Game Compliance: For businesses just starting out, the best immediate step is creating an internal AI policy and thoroughly documenting every tool used to build a traceable pipeline [00:25:53].

"I don't have any big cooperation background... I just decide to start a business from scratch at a place that I have no any network resources." — Ping Chen

"If you're a company that you are using ChatGPT or you're using Claude... then you also need to demonstrate that you are aligning with ISO 42001." — Ping Chen

"Didn't you think about those accreditation is actually protecting you for the bigger loss if you didn't align with it?" — Ping Chen

• PingChen on LinkedIn!

• Visit the CybPass Website

👤 Guest Bio💡 Key Takeaways💬 Direct Quotes🛠️ Connect With Our Guest

What if a company didn't want to know they were being hacked? It sounds crazy, but in the corporate world, knowing about a data breach triggers costly reporting and compliance nightmares—creating a perverse incentive for leaders to turn a blind eye to network visibility.

In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Jason Robinson, founder and CEO of Auspex Labs. Jason breaks down the harsh realities of the cybersecurity market and explains how his team uses machine learning and graph theory to catch data exfiltration in seconds, all without needing to inspect the actual content of your files.

But this episode isn't just about tech—it’s a masterclass in founder psychology. Jason explains why building a startup (and defending against hackers) should be treated as an "infinite game." If you want to learn how to move beyond basic compliance checklists, utilize Red and Blue teams effectively, and build a resilient company optimized for operational freedom rather than a quick exit, you don't want to miss this conversation.

📚 What We Talk About:

• 00:44 – Meet Jason Robinson: Building Auspex Labs

• 01:15 – What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind "Auspex"

• 02:26 – Graph Theory & ML: Detecting Threats Without Inspecting Content

• 04:28 – The Origin Story: Solving the 30-Second Detection Window

• 06:32 – How It Works: SaaS, On-Prem Agents, and Cloud APIs

• 07:42 – The Visibility Paradox: Why Some Execs Avoid Knowing They’ve Been Breached

• 09:32 – Stop Playing for the Exit: Startups as an Infinite Game

• 14:25 – Why Cybersecurity is a Never-Ending Battle

• 17:50 – The Perverse Incentives of Breach Reporting and Compliance

• 21:35 – Competitors and the Harsh Reality of the Security Market

• 24:58 – The Founder’s Playbook: Red Teams, Blue Teams, and Real Security

• 28:14 – Jason’s Final Takeaway & Where to Find Auspex Labs

🔗 Connect With Our Guest:

• Website: Auspex Labs

• LinkedIn: Jason Robinson

Does cybersecurity compliance feel like an expensive, boring tick-box exercise? It doesn't have to be.

When done correctly, getting compliant shouldn't just be about surviving an audit—it should actively save your team hours of manual work and unlock new revenue for your business.

On the latest episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Rob Wilkinson, founder and CEO of GRC Hub. Rob breaks down why throwing generic templates at frameworks like ISO 27001 or PCI DSS is a huge mistake and how a tailored, outcome-driven strategy actually fuels business growth.

Plus, we get into a fascinating discussion about the rapid rise of AI and why you should treat artificial intelligence exactly like a Personal Assistant.

📚 What We Talk About:

• 01:01 – Meet Rob Wilkinson & the origin of GRC Hub

• 02:00 – Cyber governance and frameworks like ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and SOC 2

• 07:15 – AI as an evolution: The Blockbuster vs. Netflix analogy

• 07:34 – The "AI PA" Rule: Why humans must control critical decisions

• 08:28 – The comedy (and danger) of AI selling to AI

• 10:29 – Why GRC Hub focuses on delivering outcomes that fuel business growth

• 12:40 – Real-world success: Saving an enterprise client hundreds of hours on data requests

• 13:01 – Unlocking donor engagement and revenue for charities

• 15:23 – Rob’s final tip for founders navigating compliance

🔗 Connect With Our Guest:

• Website: GRC Hub

• LinkedIn: Rob Wilkinson

What if a company didn't want to know they were being hacked? It sounds crazy, but in the corporate world, knowing about a data breach triggers costly reporting and compliance nightmares—creating a perverse incentive for leaders to turn a blind eye to network visibility.In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Jason Robinson, founder and CEO of Auspex Labs. Jason breaks down the harsh realities of the cybersecurity market and explains how his team uses machine learning and graph theory to catch data exfiltration in seconds, all without needing to inspect the actual content of your files.But this episode isn't just about tech—it’s a masterclass in founder psychology. Jason explains why building a startup (and defending against hackers) should be treated as an "infinite game." If you want to learn how to move beyond basic compliance checklists, utilize Red and Blue teams effectively, and build a resilient company optimized for operational freedom rather than a quick exit, you don't want to miss this conversation.📚 What We Talk About:00:44 – Meet Jason Robinson: Building Auspex Labs01:15 – What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind "Auspex"02:26 – Graph Theory & ML: Detecting Threats Without Inspecting Content04:28 – The Origin Story: Solving the 30-Second Detection Window06:32 – How It Works: SaaS, On-Prem Agents, and Cloud APIs07:42 – The Visibility Paradox: Why Some Execs Avoid Knowing They’ve Been Breached09:32 – Stop Playing for the Exit: Startups as an Infinite Game14:25 – Why Cybersecurity is a Never-Ending Battle17:50 – The Perverse Incentives of Breach Reporting and Compliance21:35 – Competitors and the Harsh Reality of the Security Market24:58 – The Founder’s Playbook: Red Teams, Blue Teams, and Real Security28:14 – Jason’s Final Takeaway & Where to Find Auspex Labs🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: Auspex Labs - https://www.auspex-labs.com/LinkedIn: Jason Robinson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinje/

Are you paying for a dozen different cybersecurity tools but still feel totally unprotected? Startups and mid-market companies (roughly 100 to 5,000 employees) are expected to defend themselves against the exact same threats as Fortune 500 corporations—but without the massive budgets, endless resources, or armies of analysts. The result? Expensive tool sprawl, exhausting alert fatigue, and dangerous blind spots.In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, host Xavi sits down with Ed Jalinske, founder and CEO of Paxion Cybersecurity. Ed breaks down why the traditional, highly fragmented approach to cybersecurity is failing mid-market businesses and how AI is finally leveling the playing field.Ed introduces PaxiAI, a unified, AI-native cybersecurity operating layer designed to replace the bloated tech stack with an all-in-one platform (guided by an AI assistant named "PaxE"). If you are tired of juggling tools, drowning in alerts, and relying on outdated, once-a-year compliance training, this episode will show you how to streamline your defense and build a continuously educated, secure team.📚 What We Talk About:00:44 – Meet Jason Robinson: Building Auspex Labs01:15 – What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind "Auspex"02:26 – Graph Theory & ML: Detecting Threats Without Inspecting Content04:28 – The Origin Story: Solving the 30-Second Detection Window06:32 – How It Works: SaaS, On-Prem Agents, and Cloud APIs07:42 – The Visibility Paradox: Why Some Execs Avoid Knowing They’ve Been Breached09:32 – Stop Playing for the Exit: Startups as an Infinite Game14:25 – Why Cybersecurity is a Never-Ending Battle17:50 – The Perverse Incentives of Breach Reporting and Compliance21:35 – Competitors and the Harsh Reality of the Security Market24:58 – The Founder’s Playbook: Red Teams, Blue Teams, and Real Security28:14 – Jason’s Final Takeaway & Where to Find Auspex Labs🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: Paxion CybersecurityLinkedIn: Ed Jalinske

Scaling a startup is tough, but managing messy "people problems" is often what really keeps founders up at night. Unclear expectations, poor management habits, and weak documentation aren't just headaches—they are massive, hidden money leaks draining your bottom line.In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Sheila Holley, a 15-year HR veteran and founder of Trinity City Consulting. Sheila explains how she helps founders uncover hidden compliance risks and build scalable, automated HR systems so leadership can regain their time and productivity.If you are approaching the critical 10-employee milestone, struggling with messy terminations, or wondering how to get executive-level HR strategy without the full-time salary, this episode is a must-listen. Sheila breaks down the "Fractional HR" model and shares the exact systems you need to protect your business and set the stage for smooth, "plug-and-play" hiring in the future.📚 What We Talk About:00:38 – Meet Sheila Holley: 15 Years of HR Expertise02:04 – The Origin of Trinity City Consulting03:11 – Launching an HR & Safety Business During COVID04:03 – Beyond the Paperwork: What Fractional HR Actually Does05:39 – Hidden Risks: A Real-World Founder Example08:01 – The Fractional Hiring Model Explained10:07 – Where Are You Leaking Money? (Bad Management Habits)12:43 – The 10-Employee Rule: Exactly When to Bring in HR14:11 – Uncovering Blind Spots with HR Audits & Compliance16:19 – Fractional, Embedded, or Full-Time: What Do You Need?19:02 – Playing Matchmaker for Your Next Key Hire20:34 – Red Flags: Telltale Signs Your Company Needs HR Help22:49 – Sheila’s #1 Key Takeaway for Scaling Founders23:56 – Hard Fires: Why Weak Documentation Complicates Terminations25:32 – How to Take the Free Growth Risk Assessment26:42 – Where to Connect with Sheila Holley Online🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: Trinity City Consulting - https://www.trinitycityconsulting.com/LinkedIn: Sheila Holley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilaholley/

Most startups make a critical mistake when it comes to cybersecurity: they treat it as an IT cost center and try to solve it by buying the latest software "easy button." But what happens when a team member clicks the wrong link?In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with David, a cybersecurity veteran with over 35 years of experience ranging from the U.S. Air Force to global IT leadership. Now the founder of Protego Cybersecurity, David breaks down why true cyber resilience doesn't start with an expensive tool stack—it starts with your company's culture.David reveals how small and mid-sized businesses can leverage a "Fractional CISO" model to build an enterprise-grade security roadmap without the enterprise price tag. If you want to know how to protect your business, manage compliance (like PCI), and stay ahead of AI-powered threats, this episode is a must-watch for founders.📚 What We Talk About:01:29 – David’s 35-Year Cyber Journey03:30 – From the U.S. Air Force to the Y2K Pivot05:22 – Building Global IT Operations07:12 – The COVID Career Curveball10:05 – Why Protego Cybersecurity Was Born11:08 – What is a Fractional CISO? (And why SMBs need one)13:33 – Why Security is a Culture, Not a Cost Center16:42 – Why the "Human Layer" Beats Expensive Tools19:48 – You Are Only One Click Away From a Breach21:50 – Business-First Security: Aligning Cyber with Growth23:47 – The "People, Process, Tech" Framework Explained24:50 – Offensive Mode: The Future of AI in Cyber Attacks26:23 – The Executive Interview Roadmap Method29:18 – Defensive Mode & Navigating Compliance (PCI)31:51 – The Real Risks and Benefits of AI36:45 – Staying Sticky: Tracking Success with Security KPIs39:58 – Acting as a "Sherpa" for Tool Partners & Vendors42:18 – Quick Wins & Security Mindsets for Founders44:21 – Where to Find David and Protego Cybersecurity🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: Protego Cybersecurity - https://www.protegocybersecurity.com/LinkedIn: David Swisher - http://www.linkedin.com/in/dswisherProtego Cybersecurity LLC - https://www.linkedin.com/company/protego-cybersecurity-llc/?viewAsMember=true

You think hackers are using sophisticated AI models to break into businesses. The reality? A group of teenagers with a stolen password and a voice cloning app just brought down some of the UK's biggest brands.In this episode of Ace Founder, Marius Poskus — virtual CISO, cybersecurity strategist, and founder of MP Cybersecurity — pulls back the curtain on how businesses are really getting hacked, why your AI tools might be your biggest vulnerability right now, and what founders need to do before it's too late.If you're adopting AI in your business (and who isn't?), this conversation could save you from making a very costly mistake.📚 What We Talk About:00:46 Marius's non-traditional path from physical security to becoming a virtual CISO04:20 Why he built his own self-learning path into cyber — no bootcamps, no university07:15 The real cost of replacing your customer service team with AI agents11:30 How cybersecurity has evolved — from securing one office to securing 3,000 remote locations overnight15:00 Why communication and influence matter more than technical skills at the leadership level18:40 The truth behind the "Glass Wing" vulnerability — and why vendor fear-mongering is costing you money22:10 How a group of teenagers hacked Marks & Spencer using nothing but a leaked password and an AI voice clone27:00 The simple internal processes that can stop most attacks before they start31:15 Why the blind remote control a client bought from Amazon almost became a corporate security disaster35:50 Non-human identities: the rising attack vector most founders have never heard of40:00 Should cybersecurity professionals be worried about AI taking their jobs?43:30 Why tools like Claude Code and MCP carry real risks for non-technical users💭 Key Quotes:"AI is not going to replace people. But people who know how to use AI will replace those who don't.""You can have the best tools in the world, but unless people understand their responsibilities, it can all go out the window.""They don't hack — they log in. A stolen password and a voice clone is all it takes.""Build a culture where every employee feels safe to challenge. Because if an email from your CEO goes unquestioned, that's exactly what hackers count on.""Technology always comes third. First, you need the right people. Then the right processes."🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: mpcybersecurity.co.ukLinkedIn: Marius Poskus